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What Causes Severe Headaches And Pain Due To Acute Post Herpetic Neuralgia?
Question: My fiance was diagnosed 10 years ago with Acute Post Herpatic Neurolga at base of spine. He lives with pain at a level of 7-8 everyday. He was also involved in an industial accident that crushed his 3 lower vertebreas over 20 years ago. He has had 5 failed ultrasound injections. He has been told that the only solution being offered at this time is Cranial Stimulation or Oblation. He has has an unusual amount of severe headaches, constipation, freezing and pain is going between the crushed area and the base of spine where his nerve damage is. He recently was put on a new blood pressure medication and not sure what is going on.
Brief Answer:
Postherpetic neuralgia
Detailed Answer:
I am very sorry that you were having this type of deblitating pain and discomfort. In addition to being a private neurologist in private practice I also work part time at the VA medical center and if you are either service-connected or simply covered by the VA healthcare plan then, I can give you some ideas of things that are available through our medical center that may also be available to you through your local or regional medical center.
As a neurologist I can tell you that getting any type of an ablation procedure done as a way of curing neuralgic types of pain is very very risky my opinion. I haven't seen one patient yet which had a successful result that has lasted more than several years before pain returned and in their opinion was even worse than it was before.
there is a device called a Sootheaway device which is distributed by the VA medical center here where I work so you may want to check into it down where you are but her use it primarily for patients who have migraine headaches and I have gotten almost 100% of the referred patients over the past five years saying that is one of the most incredible forms of relief they've ever had compare medication or other methods. Of course, I wouldn't want this to be a guarantee of anything in this present case but at least it may be an idea that is worth trying especially since I think there's a good possibility that the device is covered through the VA medical plan.
And of course, there are other options to pain relief other than medication and surgery which sounds like he has exhausted this point such as biofeedback, acupuncture, and tens units that he may have tried in the past but maybe worth mentioning here in case one of those items something he has not heard yet.
Of course, there are other implantable devices such as bagel stimulators that can be put into the spinal cord and maybe very similar to cranial stimulation but as a final thought before I sign off this particular answer I would not recommend ablation at all.
I hope some of these suggestions our own benefit and can help with the situation. I would appreciate your thoughts and if you have no further comment or question regarding anything that I've written would you please give me the favor of rating this with a high star grade as well as some written feedback.
This query has required 65 minutes of position specific time and review, research, and compilation of response to the patient.
Postherpetic neuralgia
Detailed Answer:
I am very sorry that you were having this type of deblitating pain and discomfort. In addition to being a private neurologist in private practice I also work part time at the VA medical center and if you are either service-connected or simply covered by the VA healthcare plan then, I can give you some ideas of things that are available through our medical center that may also be available to you through your local or regional medical center.
As a neurologist I can tell you that getting any type of an ablation procedure done as a way of curing neuralgic types of pain is very very risky my opinion. I haven't seen one patient yet which had a successful result that has lasted more than several years before pain returned and in their opinion was even worse than it was before.
there is a device called a Sootheaway device which is distributed by the VA medical center here where I work so you may want to check into it down where you are but her use it primarily for patients who have migraine headaches and I have gotten almost 100% of the referred patients over the past five years saying that is one of the most incredible forms of relief they've ever had compare medication or other methods. Of course, I wouldn't want this to be a guarantee of anything in this present case but at least it may be an idea that is worth trying especially since I think there's a good possibility that the device is covered through the VA medical plan.
And of course, there are other options to pain relief other than medication and surgery which sounds like he has exhausted this point such as biofeedback, acupuncture, and tens units that he may have tried in the past but maybe worth mentioning here in case one of those items something he has not heard yet.
Of course, there are other implantable devices such as bagel stimulators that can be put into the spinal cord and maybe very similar to cranial stimulation but as a final thought before I sign off this particular answer I would not recommend ablation at all.
I hope some of these suggestions our own benefit and can help with the situation. I would appreciate your thoughts and if you have no further comment or question regarding anything that I've written would you please give me the favor of rating this with a high star grade as well as some written feedback.
This query has required 65 minutes of position specific time and review, research, and compilation of response to the patient.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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